Scale bearing



June 1-7, 1930. H. c. SCHAPER 1,764,649

SCALE BEARING' Filed April 20. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l y Maf iff/1W;

June `17, 1930. H. c. scHAPr-:R 1,764,649

SCALE BEARING Filed. April 20, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W M if @e M F. 'C7 I d? if /z /f JZ@ j jl :ZZ

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l'June 17, 1930. A H C SCHAPER 1,764,649

SCALE BEARING Mz; /a

June 17, 1930. H. c. SCHAPER 1,764,649

SCALE' BEARING Filed April 20. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 17, 1930 F ESCE HARRYC. SCHAEEB, OF ST. LOU 1S, LVISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SCI-IAPER SCALE COMPANY,

0F ST.

Application filed April 20,

This invention. relates to new and useful improvementsin bearings and more particularly to knife edge bearings for scales.

The primary object ofthe invention is 'to 5 provide a bearing in which the knife edge member bears against a flat surface, thereby reducing the friction to minimum and increasing the accuracy and sensitiveness of the bearing.

Other objects of the invention are to arrange the cooperating members of the bearing so as to preserve the cooperative relation thereof at all times.

. Further objects of the invention are to pro- 15 vide a plurality of knife edge members disposed angularly relative to each other and having their knife edges arranged in alignment to ferm a common axis.

Still further objects of the invention are 2) to provide a plurality of knife edge members dispo-sed angularly to each other with their knife edges arranged in central alignment toL form a common axis, each of said knife edges bearing against a flat surface disposed at right angles thereto whereby the fulcrums of said knife edge members are held in coaxial alignment by the correlation thereof. Additional objects of the invention are tov provide a plurality of knife edge members 30, arranged in pairs, ythe members of each pair being arranged in opposed spaced relation with each other so as to bring the knife edges thereof in alignment, the two pairs being disposed at right angles to each other so as to provide a common axis for all of said knife edge members, and to provide a flat surface bearing for eac-h knife edge member, said bearings being so disposed as to hold all of said knife edge members to 4% their common axis.

lVith these and other objects in view, my

. invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts,

hereinafter more fully described and i5 claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of the bearing. showing parts of the scale with which it is associated.

igure 211s a side elevational View thereof.'

1928. Serial No. 271,542.

Fieure 3 is a rear elevational view ofv same.

Figure t is a vertical cross section taken on line of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross vsection taken on line 6 6 of Figure l.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross on line 7 7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross on line 8--8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is avertical crossy section take-n on line 9-9 of Figure l.

Figure l0 is a top plan view of the supporting plate.

Figure ll is a horizontal cross section taken on line ll-ll of Figure 3,.

Figure 12 is a perspective detail view of the top knife edge member.

Figure 13 is a perspective detail view of the rear knife edge member.

Figure lll is a perspective det-ail view of the forward knife edge member.

Figure l5 is a perspective detail view of the bottom knife edge member.

Figure l6'is a diagrammatic view showing the knife edge members in correlated positions.

lt is well known in the scale art that a knife edge operating on a flat surface forms the most efficient and accurate bearing. However, such bearing has not heretofore been commercially successful due to the fact that such knife edge was readily injured by liarring or excessive strain and could not be held in proper axial alignment. y

he present invention contemplates the use of a series of knife edge members disposed preferably at right angles to each other with their edges arranged i axial alignment and having bearings on lia-t surfacesvdisposed at right angles relative to the respective knife edges, whereby said knife edge members and Aflat surface bearings cooperate to form a self-centering bearing in which the various stresses are taken care of by the respective bearing members.

The invention asdisclosed in the drawings shawn applied to a weighing scale of the section taken section taken 651, of screws 39 and is provided with forwardly type shown in my copending application Serial'No. 201,924, filed June 27, 1927.

However, my improved bearing can be used in connection with other types of scales and in other instances where an accurate bearing is required.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10-indicates a support which carries a bearing 11 comprising avstationary part 12 and a movable part 14. Support 10 is provided with a table portion 15 on which is secured, by means of screws 16, a stationary `horizontally disposed plate 17 This plate is provided with a transversely disposed opening 18 having its ends terminating in notches 19 (see Figure 10). The rear end of said plate is reduced in width to provide clearing spaces 17. Y

A movable scale member 20, which in the present vinstance is provided with a pendu lum 21, is formed withv a pair of upwardly projecting arms 22, the ends of which are turned forwardly and'have secured thereto vby'means of screws 24 a vertically. disposed top knife edge member 25. This knife edge member is provided at each end with a downwardly presented knife edge 26 which bears against a fiat surface 17b of plate 17 dis osed adjacent toeach notch 19. Plate 25 as formed integral therewith depending portions 27 which are spaced inwardly of knife edges 26 and extend 'downwardly a suitable distance below the latter into notches'19. yThe centralportion of member 25-is cut away to. provide a central lclearing Space28 (see Figure4). n Y

`Ahorizontally disposed plate 29 vis arranged on top of plate 17 and spansslot 18,

being secured in -position on said plate 17 e by screws 30. Bearing against the underside of this plate 29rare knife edges 31 of a bottom knifeedge member 32, which latter is secured to and projects upwardly from a pad 20a of the movable part orele'ment 20.l Knife Aedges 26 and 31are formed by beveling the opposed edges on opposite sides'so that said knlfe edges are disposed in the same vertical and horizontal planes. Plate 29 is considerably narrower than the distance between depending projections 27 and extending into the space thus formed are, upward projections 34 formed integral with member 32..

Bearing against the forward faces of projections 34 are rearwardly presented knife edges 35 of ahorizontallydisposed knife `edge member 36, which latter is' disposed Vin d theforward portionof slot 18j-and is held in position by screws 37. These screws are carried by late 29, there being longitudinal slots 29 ormed'inv said plate to allow longitudinal Vadjustment ofknife edge member rear knife edge memberV 38V is fixed on the rear reduced`V end of plate 17 by'means .face of member 36 is arranged flush with the upperk face of plate 17 and member 33 is disposed on plate 17 so that the opposed sides of member 36and member 38 are arranged in the same horizontal plane and the respective knife edges 35 and 40 thereof are also arranged in the same horizontal plane with each other and inl alignment with knife edges 26 and 31 so that all four of said knife edges have an axis common to all of them. As the respective knife edge members are disposed at right angles to each other they are held to their flatl bearings and againstl movement in either horizontal or vertical plane without the use of any devices or construction which might increase the friction `between the cooperating members Vand impair the effectiveness of the bearing.

Plate 17 is stationary and forms a support for the movable part 20 by means of upper knife Vedge member 25 whose knife edge 26 bears against Vthe upper face of plate 17. The lower knife edge member 32 bears against the underside of plate 29 which is fixed to the top plate 17. Thus knife edge member 25 is held against displacement in a vertical plane by said lower knife edge member 32.

Y The knife edges 31 of member 32 are yieldingly held against plate 29 in order to maintain knifeedges 26 in engagement with plate 17 without the danger ofbinding or excessive pressure and friction. This yielding pressure is furnished by two coiled springs 41 seated on the bottom of element 20 and having their upper ends bearing against the overhanging portions or shoulders 32 formed on the opposite ends of member 32. The latter is secured to pad 20 by means of screws 42 yscrewed in said pad'and passing through vertically disposed slots y32b formed in member 32. In this manner plate 32 is allowed upward move-V ment under the'v influence of springs 41 ,so as tobring the edges 31 of member 32 in proper engagement with the underside of plate 29, whereupon screws 42 are tightened to retain members 32 in proper position.

*The horizontally disposed knife edges 35 and 40. are maintained in proper contact with the respective-vertically disposed members 34 and 27 byithe adjustment of' member36 in" a yhorizontal plane. This adjustment is obtained by means of ka screw 44 which is threaded'in plate 17 and has its inner wend'bearing against the corresponding edge of plate 36. Thus all of the knife edges are brought in proper alignment with lateral vor V axial movement by plate 17, projections 2.7 ",beingdisposed in slots 19. The eontigiionssides y19a and 27EL are ytapered so Vas' to. eliminate large surface contact therebetween. Similarly, the inner sides of projections '34e and Vthe sides .of plate E29 tapered'as indicated'at Bta Vand 29, respeetively. Bowel pins 45 are used to properly vlocate plate .17 on support l and said plate 17 is provided with doivel pins e6 forproperly .centering-knife edge meini ber 38, While doWel Vpins 47 are nsed 'to properly Yposition plate 29 von vplate 17.

"fi Vhen ,the lbearing is yused in conjunction with an indicating scale, such as disclosed in the .aforementionedapplication, the movablefpart or element 14 of the bearing is connected Vby a connection A to Aa movable part 4of the Weighing scale, such as the scale beam, whereby vsaid element lll is actuated in accordance with said beam. Arms 22 .have secured .thereto trunnions B which Y are Idisposed..cova'xially with the axis of the knife edges.

Y"The Vindicating mechanism which it is desired Yto actuate is operatively connected tosaid pinions. Thus ,the indicating mechanfm isfaotuated through the medium of said bearings in accordance with the movable partof Ithe scale. y

The Aknife .edges are ypreferably so formed aste bringthe .apic'es thereof in the same planewith .one side [of the knife edge memb e'rsf4 Each ,pair of knife edge members has `its lmembers disposed Yin opposed relation with. their ledges .or `apices spaced kl Ongitudinally" and in alignment with each other. This arrangementsimplifies Vthe .construction andy renders 4it more compact and prevents undue strains against any one of said knife edges.

The .bearing herein disclosed is 4particularly adapted for use Ain conjunction Wien weighing Iscales brit it will be readily une erstoodthat'it lmaybe used in other constructions in which ,an .accurate and efficient bearing is required.

WVhile I have shovvnand described Vthe pref fer-fed form of lmy invention, it will Vbe readysaid bearing members being detschably mounted and having their knife edges disposed angnlarly relative to each other around axis. j

2. A ,bearing comprising astationary part, a ,knife edge bearing .member detachably fixed to saidstati'onarypart, a. .movable part, and a plurality of knifeiedge .bearing members, fixed ,to said movable part,'all of said knife edge bearing .members having their knife edges disposed .around a common axis and adapted to bear against fiat bearings arranged Vat right angles to `the respective knife edges.

3. A bearing comprising a stationary part, a pair of opposed knife edge members fixed to said part andhaving their knife edges disposed in .the same axis, .a movable part, and a pair of opposed knife edge kmembers fixed thereto and having their knife edges in axial alignment with the knife edgesfof the first pair, there Vbeing a flat bearingsurface provided for each'knife edge.

a. A bearing comprising a stationary part, a pair of opposed knife edge members fixed to said partand having their knife edges disposed in alignment to form a common axis, a movable part, and a pair of opposed knife edge members disposed at .right angles to the pair and having their `knife vedges in alignment with the edges of said first pair to ferm an axis common to all .of said knife edges. y

5. A bearing comprising a stationary part, a pair of opposed knife edge members fixed to said part and having their knife Yedges disposed in spaced relation with each other and in axial alignment, a movable part, and a pair of opposed knife edge members disposed angularly to the first pair and ,having their knife edges arranged in spaced relation with each other and withA the knife edges of said first pair and in axial alignment to yform an axis common to all of said knife edge members.

6. A bearing comprising a stationary part, a pair of Vopposed knife edge members fixed to said part and having their knife edges arranged in axial alignment, afmovable part, a pair of opposed knife edge .members disposed anpu'larly to the first Lpair andhaving their knife edges in aliffnment with the knife edges ofvsaid first pair to form an axis common to all of saidv knife edges, and a plurality of fiat bearing surfages disposed at right angles to the respective knife edges to form bea ings therefor.

7. A bearing comprising a stationary part, a pair of opposed knife edge members fixed to said Apart and having their knife edges arranged in axial alignment, a movable part, a pair of opposed knife edge members disposed angularly to the first pair and having their knife edges in alignment with the knife edges of said first pair to form an axis common to all of said knife edges, and a plurality of flat bearing surfaces, each of which is arranged in correlation YWith certain of said knife edge members kand forms l'lO .a bearing for the lother knife edge member.

8. fA bearing com rising astationary parthaving a plurality o oppositely kdisposed fiat bearing surfaces, a palr of opposed knife edge members fixed to said* part and having their 'knife edges arranged in axial alignment, a movable part khaving a plurality, of

fiato ositely distposed bearing surfaces e114 Va stationary part, a air of opposed knife edge members secure to said movable; part and engaging said stationary part, a pair of opposed knife edge members secured to said stationary part and engaging said movable vpart, saidv knife edges being arranged at right` angles toeach other and having their knife'edges spaced longitudinally around a commonaxis.

y 11. A .bearingz comprising a stationary art provided withv a plurality ofopposed gaty bearing surfaces, a pair of opposed knife edge members fixed to said stationary part and having their apices arrangedin coaxial alignment, a movable part. provided with a plurality of opposediat'bearing surfaces enknife e ge members, and a second gaged b the knife edges of said'first pair of knife edge membersv having their apices arranged in Vcoaxial alignment With the apices ofthe Vfirst pair'sof'members andfbearing against the part.I A p *y 12. A lbearing comprising a stationary part*providedvvithv a plurality of opposed fiat bearing surfaces disposed in the same -horizontal plane, `a pair ofropposed knife edge vmembersixedtof said stationary part and having theirapices arranged in coaxial alignment andfin the same plane with said surfaces, a movable part rovidedwith a pluralit ofopposed fiat earing surfaces dispose in the'same vertical planeffand 4engaged bythe apices of the first pair kof\1nem,V

bers, and `a second pair' ofknife edgeme'mf bers secured to said movable part vand having their apices arranged Y in coaxial alignment with'the apiceswofthe lirstpair andin the same plane with said vertically disposed surfacesI and bearin disposed surfaces.

' 13. A' bearing comprlsing a' stationaryv part provided with apluralityof opposed flatbea'ring surfaces arranged in the same `part provided with apluralit air ofy fiat surfaces of said stationary g against Athe horizontally plane vvith veach other, 'a pair of o :posed knife edge memberslixed to said stationary part and having their apices spaced longif tudinally and coaxiall with eachotherya movable art provided, with 'a pluralitykof opposedA at bearing surfaces disposed the same plane with each other and at right angles to the' plane of the first mentioned surfaces and formingbearings for the knife edges of said first-mentioned pair-of members, and a second pair of knife edge mem-r` bers'ixed to said movable part and having their knife edges arranged V1n s aced longitudinal and coaxial relation wit each other and with said first pair and bearing against the fiat surfaces of said stationary part, one of the ymembers of the second pair being yieldably held against its fiatbearing to'hold the bearing members of the movable part in proper operative relationfwith said stationary part. y l

14. A bearing comprisin a stationary part provided with a lura ity of opposed fiat bearing surfaces isposed in the same plane relatively to each other, a pair of 0pposed knife edge members fixed to said stationary part and'havin their knife'edges arranged in spaced longitudinal and 'coaxial relation, means for ad'ustin Aone of said members Vrelatively to t le ot er, a movable of opposed. flat bearing surfaces rdis ose inthe same plane with eachother an at right angles to the surfaces of said stationary yartY and engaged bythe knife ed e mem ers thereof, and a second pair of'nife edge members fixed to said movable-part and having their knife edges arranged' in spaced longitudinal andV coaxial jrelation Wit -each other and with the knife edges of the first pair of members, the knife edges of said second pair of members. bearing against the flat surfaces of said stationary part. 4

15. A Abearing comprisingl a stationary part provided with apluralityof'opposed vfiat bearing surfaces disposed "in the same plane relatively to each other, a pairl of opposed knife edge members fixed tosaid stationary part and having their: knife 113;,

edges arrangedin spacedlongitudinal and coaxial relation,'means for adjustingonelv of said members' relatively to the other, a movabley part provided with a pluralityrof-o posediat bearing surfaces disposedin t e same plane with 'each-A other and at right 'angles to .the surfacesfof said stationary partfandjengaged bythefknife edge members thereofffa second pair of knife' edge members ixedto said Vmovable part and having their lknife edges arranged in spacedV longitudinal and coaxial relation with eachin Y 'iso A other and withtheknife edges" of the first pair of me1'nbers,^the knifel edges offsaid second'pair ofmem-bers bearing against vthe K flat surfaces of said stationary part; and' means for yieldably holding one of said knife edge members of the second pair against its bearing to hold the knife edge members of the movable part in proper operative relation With the bearings of said stationary part.

16. In a bearing of the class described, a horizontally disposed plate having oppositely disposed bearing surfaces arranged in the same horizontal plane, a pair of horizontally 'disposed knife edge members carried by said plate and having their knife edges arranged in the same horizontal piane With said surfaces and in coaxial relation With each other, a vertically disposed plate having oppositely disposed bearing surfaces arranged in the same vertical plane, a pair of vertically disposed knife edge members movable With said plate and having their opposed knife edges arranged in the same vertical plane with the bearing surfaces thereof and in spaced coaxial relation n 'th each other and With the knife edges of e i l horizontally disposed members, said orizontally disposed knife edges having searings in said vertically disposed surfaces and said vertically disposed knife edge members having bearings in said horizontally disposed surfaces.

17. In a bearing of the ciass described, the combination of a fixed p and a movable part, each of Which is provided with a plurality of flat bearing surfaces and a pair of opposed knife edge members, having their edges disposed coaxially, the knife edges of one part being disposed at right angles to and having bearings in the surfaces of the other part, and the knife edges of all of said members being aligned to form a common axis.

18. In a bearing of the class described, the combination of a fixed part and a movable part, one of Which is provided With a plurality of horizontally disposed bearing surfaces and a pair of opposed knife edge members,the apices of Which are spaced coaxially and in the same plane with said surfaces, and the other of said parts being provided with a plurality of vertically disposed bearing surfaces and a pair of opposed knife edge members, the apices of which are disposed in the saine plane with said vertical surfaces and coaxially with the apices of the iirst pair, the knife edge members of one part having bearings on the fiat surfaces of the other part to form a common axis.

19. A bearing for scales comprising a support, a fixed element carried thereby and provided with a plurality of opposed bearing surfaces, and a pair of opposed knife edge members, the apices of which are disposed in the same plane With each other and With said bearing surfaces; and a .movable element provided with a plurality of opposed bearing surfaces and a pairl of opposed knife edge members, the apices of which are disposed in the same plane With each other and With the bearing surfaces of said movable element, the bearing surfaces of one element being disposed at right angles to the bearing surfaces of the other element and engaged by the knife edges thereof and all of said apices being aligned to form a common axis.

20. A bearing for scales comprising a support, a horizontally disposed plate carried thereby and provided With a plurality of opposed horizontally disposed bearing surfaces, a pair of opposed horizontally disposed knife dge members, a movable element, a pair of opposed vertically disposed knife edge members fixed to said element and having their apices bearing against the horizontal surfaces of said plate for pivotally supporting said element on said plate, a pluralityl of vertically disposed bearing surfaces in fixed relation with said movable element and engaged by the apices of said horizontally disposed knife edge members, the apices of all of said knife edge members being arranged in spaced coaxial relation With each other to form a common axis and means for operatively connecting said movable member to a scale mechanism.

in testimony whereof l hereunto aiiix my signature this 26th day of March, 1928.

HARRY C. SCHAPER. 

